beeeetttttle larva

[greenismycolor]

"Quote"Metrobee, Stay on top of them. If your hive gets weak, with those numbers, they WILL take over. They create a foul mess. I speak from experience.

Welcome to the forum. Please start another thread under the "Greetings/tell us about yourself" and tell us about yourself.

Steve

Hi Metrobee and Welcome

Steve is right! and it doesn't take them long to take over.

Sorry to hear you are having SHB problems.

Since my first post, I lost the hive that was infected with SHB, it was a new package from may. My original hive...I inspected today....I had seen  6 or 8 adult beetles before, but today I found at least 30 on my inside cover. I had heard that a strong colony would take care of the shb by themselves, so I gave them some time but, today I couldn't believe the decline in the amount of bees despite I have been feeding them since the end of our flow. I didn't break my hive open today for fear of upsetting their balance and their war against the beetle, but I could tell by the number that greeted me and their response to my presence .
I have medicated the soil around the hive installed beetle traps and I still see an growth in the SHB. I am really beginning to become very concerned now. I dont' know what more to do. This is my only hive now. They gave me a about 40# of honey this summer and seemed to be do well and bursting at the seams. Now their super is at a complete standstill and has been for about a month. Anyway, if you have seen if you saw 10 to 12 today, i am sure there are thousands comming.

I wish you the best and please let us know how is goes.

green

[ArmucheeBee]

Will closing down your entrance to an inch or less help keep the beetles out?  I closed mine down to 1 inch as soon as I started reading these forums.  I have a very small colony.  I think the small entrance makes it easier to defend, but I tend to see SHB flying at night and dusk when there are not a large number of bees at the entrance.  I open the hive about every 3 days and mash the #%#%@ to death, then let the bees mash 'em some more.  Do SHB eat the bee larvae?

[sc-bee]

It's not my experience that shb eat bee larvae and I have never read this anywhere. However when a hive begins to get infested w/shb hygienic bees will remove larvae and tear down the comb trying to control the shb. I have come up on a couple of hives that were hauling out perfectly healthy looking brood. I poped the tops to find a infestation of shb.

I have not been able to turn around a hive once it has reached the larva stage inside the hive ! I have frozen combs, placed in traps' and done total shake downs, only to lose the hive later.

Best defense, I have found, try to keep hive strong and the use of traps etc. early to try and control the shb population.

[asprince]

I too have not been able to turn a hive around after it reaches the shb larva stage. I have salvaged the comb by washing off some larva and slime and then freezing it. I then add it to a strong hive for clean up.

Greenismycolor, I would remove any honey super and pack any remaining bees in as small of space as they will fit; nuc or single hive body. If beetles are attacking, don't give the bees too much space to defend.

Steve     

[greenismycolor]

Thanks Steve

What do I do with the honey in the Super? Freeze it? I am assuming it should be fed back to the bees, or will the reinfest the hive again? Would there be eggs in the honey?

green

[greenismycolor]

A study of the SHB:

2.1.1 Life Cycle and Behaviour
2.1.2 The Small Hive Beetle Threat to Stored Combs
2.1.3 Threat to Live Colonies
2.2 Other Issues Impacting on the USA Beekeeping Industry
2.2.1 Varroa Mites and Other Pests and Diseases



http://www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/HBE/03-050.pdf

[asprince]

Green, freezing the honey will kill the eggs. You can feed it to them later or put it back on the hive for them to finish when they are stronger.

Steve